Limerick came through round one of the National Cup 83-71 on the road, with a balanced scoring night and a monster effort on the glass.
Limerick Sport Eagles are through to the next round of the National Cup after an 83-71 win away to Portlaoise Panthers. Three players in double figures and total control of the boards saw the Eagles avenge a recent league loss to the same side and book their place in the draw.
Alex Carlisle led the way with 24 points, getting to the line for eight free throws and adding five assists. Ryan Leonard chipped in 21 points and six assists, while Darragh Horkan was sharp from deep on his way to 19 points, hitting three from beyond the arc.
The story under the basket was Toby Christensen, who pulled down 23 rebounds to go with seven assists and three steals. That kind of dominance on the glass gave Limerick extra possessions all night and kept Portlaoise from finding any rhythm.
It is a satisfying result against a team that had got the better of the Eagles in the league. Limerick now look ahead to the next round and a return to Division One business.
Eagles box score
| Player | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Carlisle | 38 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Ryan Leonard | 35 | 21 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Darragh Horkan | 32 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Daniel Shahab | 27 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Toby Christensen | 38 | 5 | 23 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Fryderyk Klimas | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sean Ryan | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Stephen King | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Eagles player box score (Limerick Sport Eagles stats). Final score: Limerick Sport Eagles 83–71 Portlaoise Panthers.